“2022 has been a great year” according to Martin Hudson, chair of Wilton Bridge Petanque Club, speaking at the recent annual general meeting.

Following two difficult years at their Ross Sports Centre base because of flooding and Covid, the club has enjoyed a successful year of development and consolidation in 2022.

Membership is over 50 and there are eleven all-weather pistes to play on.

Hudson thanked the committee and members for organising fund-raising activities like concerts, barbecues and friendly games.

Thanks to a grant from Active Herefordshire, the members have also built a new pedestrian entrance from the carpark and clubhouse.

The membership year starts in January and new applications are very welcome. No previous experience is necessary as existing members will be pleased to give guidance where required.

There are further details on the club website WiltonPetanque.co.uk and boules can be supplied for a trial period.

Wilton Bridge Petanque Club opened in April 2021 at the Ross-on-Wye Sports Centre. There are eleven all-weather gravel pistes which allow year-round play in an attractive sportsground setting. Toilets and other facilities are available in the centre nearby.

Interested persons are invited to come along to a club session to try the sport out.

Whilst 2022 might have been a great year for petanque, a number of Gazette readers may be unfamiliar with the sport.

Petanque is pronounced pay-tank and is also known as boules.

It is a favourite national pastime in France and can be enjoyed by all abilities, from those who just want a relaxed social game to others who want to compete at club, regional, or international level.

A target ball, called a cochonnet or “coch”, is thrown down the piste first. Then the players compete to throw their boules nearest to the coch and score points towards a total of 13.

Not many sports clubs have a piece of architecture as their logo, but Wilton Bridge does. Located just 100 metres from the ancient Wilton Bridge, which spans the river Wye, they have adopted its unusual, vertical sundial as their logo. The bridge was originally built in 1599 and the sundial was added in the early 18th century. It stands there as a beacon overlooking the Wye.